Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Kicks Off With Annual Eyegore Award

This past Friday night marked the annual opening of Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, which kicked off with the Eyegore Awards and some celebrity recipients. Although the Eyegore Awards are hardly the highest respected ceremony in Hollywood, it is a fun way to launch Southern California’s best Halloween event. Who better to scare horror fans than the studio that dominated the genre in the heyday of cinema, from Frankenstein to the Wolf Man, Mummy to the Creature from the Black Lagoon. This year they are home to modern classics such as “The Walking Dead,” Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silent Hill. The classic monsters also make an appearance in a maze of their own.

            This year’s Eyegore Awards were hosted by McKenzie Westmore from Syfy’s “Face Off,” with recipients including Guillermo del Toro, Chad Michael Murray, Silas Weir Mitchell and Bitsie Tulloch. Alice Cooper also made an appearance to honor the latest edition of his own personal maze, complete with psychedelic 3D effects which must be seen to be believed. Other guests included “That 70s Show” star Wiler Valderrama and Michelle Trachtenberg, who shared an impromptu photo session onstage after the ceremony had ended.    

            The real stars of the Halloween Horror Nights, however, are the men and women who created the effects. There is an astounding amount of effort put into everything from the make-up to costumes, lighting to maze design. There is even some puppetry involved in the La Llorona maze. Although there are other theme parks who boast a larger number of mazes, but nobody does them with the same attention to detail as Universal Studios. Halloween Horror Nights is open weekends and select nights through October 31, and discount tickets can be found online at http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/hollywood/2012/tickets.php